The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-03-10
RESULT OF THE BOOM.
The Position Of the Striking Stone Cut.
ters Clearly Def I'd.
Increase in Prices of Real Estate and Rents,
Resulting from the Duuber Boom
N and their Relation to
the Strike. alan TOD.

EDITOR DEMoCRAT:-0ne hears many
remarks on the stl ts Of Canton these
days concerning what is termed the
stone masOn'sSlrlke, and var GUS are the
opinions and reasons given by Ben for
holding views either on one side or the
other Of the question. Men who look at
thlB trouble from business standpoint
mostly come to the conclusion that the
stone masOns have asked too much ad-
vance, to enable their employers to
grant them higher wages and at the
same time be able to complete JOBS pre-.
Vlously contracted for.
But when the stone masOas gave
notice Of an advance by the first of
March, according to the statement of O
stone contractor, before the contract for
the erection of the Dnsber building was
let; also when 1t is remembered how the
spirit Of every true CantOnian was
buOyed up by the prospects Of boom
| for every One-reRl estate owner, cap
itsllst and labOTer--and when the words
1T will increase wages" Of the Dueber
committee soliciting the lSboriDg mans
mite are taken into account, then every
| just man must come to the conclusion
that the lab0Ting man has not only a
right, but Is entitled to his proportion
OF the benefit derived from raising $780,
600 and thus Inducing Mr.. Dneber to
build hlsshOps In this city.
Now let Us see. The, masODs received
last year So 70 for ten hours work, and
this year they ask for $3,25 for nine
hours work, which is an increase Of 81
per cent. Oh the value Of labor, or In
other words the laboring man thinks his
condition should be bettered 81 per cent.
because Canton is on the eve Of bot m,
and under such state Of affairs every
ones condition ia supposed to be bet
tered. For, the man who owns lot can
better afford to erect house thereon
this coming summer than the past year,
even If he pays the highest wages for
work, for has not the value Of his
property increased at greater rate per
cent. than has been asked by the most
enthusiastic and highest priced la
bOrerp This question can only beIed
sweTed by comparison Of the rate-uV
cent of increase of wages and real es-
tate, before and after the Dueber boom.
1t is we'll known fact that real es
tate owner of this city, who, by the way,
gave nothing towards the DueGer fund,
L ul0 buO puOu lOul az
what 1t cost him, SO. 600. to any one who
might be inclined to nuy, and fond no
purchaser, Within the last few months
the property sold for $l9. 800, giving a
net profit Of over 100 per cent. to the
owner. No one Censures this man for
retardiDg the progress Of the city and
yet he has received an advance, the per
cent. Of which Is four times greater than
that demanded by lab0rlng men. And
thus 1t Is all over this city. No property
can be bought to day for less than from
40 to 100 per cent. advance O7er what 1t
was actually worth six months ago, and
houses that rented then at SO now bring
$12 and over, which is an increase of
33H per cent, so that comparison of
the rate per cent. increase In wages de-
manded by labOrers with the rate per
cent. increase on things desired by them
would show, the amount of work being
the same, that they are In no better con-
dition to-day, even with the proposed
increase, for when labOrer rents a
house he must pay One-thlrd more rent
than formerly, and II he wishes to buy
home he must pay an advance OF 81
per cent over last years prices while be
will only receive 81 per cent increase
Now If 1t ie just for the real estate own
or to increase and FIX his own prices at
which he will sell orient to the labOring
man, as also the merchant has the priVi-
leGe of doing, why Is there such hue
and cry raised when the lsbOrer asks
such an advance as will increase his
wages In ratio with the example set
him by the merchant and capitalist
The men who have contracts for erect
ing buildings this spring have no just
cause for complaint as they were nOti-
fed Of an advance both on labor and on
fbuildIng stones before the contracts on
either the Dueber building or the Fort
Wayne depot were made, and " the con
sequence Is that they lose money on
these jobs, it ls not the fault Of any one
but themselves, and labor should not be
burdened with such mems folly. Let
the censure fall on the men, who In the
| past have made their money by schem
ing, rather tnan on those who are
working for a living, for may not this,
too, be a schemep JUSTICE.